champion and thomas champion



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML. CHAMPION AND THOMAS CHAMPION, OF \V.\SHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TRANSPORTING BRIDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,250, dated November 22, 1853; Antedated May 22, 1853.

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL CHAMPION and THOMAS CHAMPION, of the city of Tashington, in the District ot Columbia, have invented a new and useful method ot transporting bridges or centers for bridges from the banks or shore where they are built to their proper position over the water on the piers or abutments placed for their support, ot which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying` drawing, which makes part ot this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan of a stream with an abutment on each side and a bridge in the act of being laid over the stream upon the abutments; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Preparatory to building the bridge or arch proper we proceed to build the abutments, and to form the roadways on each side by which the bridge is to be approached; we then select that bank of the stream which is most convenient tor the purpose, and level va space on the roadway contiguous to the abutment, and it possible in a line with the two abutments somewhat longer and wider than the required bridge; upon this leveled space we first lay down timbers or stout plank, and on these place rollers or trucks; and on these rollers or trucks we erect the bridge. After the bridge has thus been erected on the shore, the next thing is to place it over the stream on the abutments, and this is accomplished by moving it forward on the rollers or trucks, until its end overhangs the tirst abutment, and then placing beneath it a vessel having a trame erected upon its deck, which reaches up to the underside of the bridge. This vessel when iirst placed beneath the bridge should be ballasted by water, sand stone, or other material, but we recommend water, equal in weight to a little more than half the weight of the bridge, so that as the latter begins to bear upon it with more weight as it projects more beyond the abutment, by pumping out the water or transY tering other ballast into another vessel, the buoyancy ot the Vessel will be increased and it will hold up the end of the bridge at the same level as at first or higher it necessary. By thus graduating the quantity of the bal last. inversely to the weight of the load the proper elevation of the projecting end ot' the bridge can be maintained during its progress across the stream. Then one end ot' the bridge has thus been placed upon the vessel and raised up, the bridge is again urged fon ward until its front -end has reached the proper position over the further abutment when water is again pumped or led into the vessel by a valve to increase its load and settle it and thus lower the bridge to its place, by continuing the admission of the water until the vessel is lowered sutliciently to be relieved of the weight of the bridge, it can then be oated away and the bridge lett in its place. The boa-t in passing the bridge across the stream should be guided by guy ropes on each side of the piers, controlled by capstans, and the bridge could also in most cases be conveniently\towed across by tackle and a capstan.

The accompanying drawing represents one of the many arrangements that might be adopted for building a bridge and setting it in place by our method. In this drawing A denotes the stream, or water, to be bridged, B the abutments, C the bed timbers on which the trucks rest, D the trucks on which the bridge is built, E the vessel by which the forward end ot the bridge is carried across from one abutment to the other.

a., is t-he trame extending from the deck ot the vessel to the under side ot the bridge.

Y), is the pump for pumping water into or out ot' the vessel to regulate its buoyancy, and c, is a valve to admit water into the vessel instead of pumping it in.

F is the capstan, and f the rope by which the bridge drawn across from one abutment to the other; G the capstans and g the guy ropes by which the vessel is guided and steadied as it floats the end of the bridge across the water.

It it should be deemed advisable in any case to employ more than one vessel. it is obvious that they must be applied and worked in the saine manner already described tor the working and managing ot one vessel. Care being taken to impose upon each its due proportion ot the load. The abutments, railways, bridge, vessel, capstans and tackle are all things so well known thatwe dee-m a particular description ot' them unnecessary.

By thus building bridges on shore and on the same lever or thereabout, at which they are destined to stand, all the dithculties incident to building` bridges over the water, or of elevating them from the level ot the water to the top ot the abutments as has heretofore been done when they have been places on the abutments, and then setting 10 built on shore zuid afterward 'floated to the them in place by moving Athem into position abut-ments are raised by hydraulic presses or substantially as set forth.

ponderous and expensive machinery to the SAMUEL CHAMPION required elevation are avoided. Therefore We eliiin- THOMAS CHAMPION' The improved method of operation herein Witnesses: described vim-building bridges on shore, L. C. DoNN, on :L level, or thereabout with their resting VM. COX. 

